Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: RedSuinit on August 25, 2015, 02:26:33 am
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Decided to make this thread a general C&C for all of the artwork for a game I am working on.
Character concept/design: http://wayofthepixel.net/index.php?action=profile;u=47680
Animator: Me
We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions!
Main Character:
(http://i.imgur.com/mNPe94o.gif)
Ira:
(http://i.imgur.com/IMlnbN3.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/9YX8Rgc.gif)
Odio:
(http://i.imgur.com/rtrrQhZ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Qy6pbK1.gif)(http://i.imgur.com/7CiBJMO.gif)(http://i.imgur.com/UNRD5tv.gif)(http://i.imgur.com/TzY6DuF.gif)(http://i.imgur.com/8uDf4vP.gif)
Timore:
(http://i.imgur.com/L2tZ58I.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n6odqST.gif)
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You'd want it to extend farther back and definitely suggest more side hair. A bad toupe is obvious, but not small like that, it resembles a cap somewhat.
Perhaps to emphasize its looseness you could make the toupe itself floppy, rather than a single strand.
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You'd want it to extend farther back and definitely suggest more side hair. A bad toupe is obvious, but not small like that, it resembles a cap somewhat.
Perhaps to emphasize its looseness you could make the toupe itself floppy, rather than a single strand.
I've been working with another artist (http://wayofthepixel.net/index.php?action=profile;u=47680), who has revitalized the artwork, let me know what you think!
(http://i.imgur.com/AsOxYFD.gif)
(http://i.imgur.com/UvcSI5y.gif)
(http://i.imgur.com/cSQ5nAP.gif)
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That looks good, but also like a full, healthy head of hair. Maybe:
(http://i.imgur.com/xzcMzEt.gif)
But I also wonder what a young person is doing with a toupe.
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That looks good, but also like a full, healthy head of hair. Maybe:
(http://i.imgur.com/xzcMzEt.gif)
But I also wonder what a young person is doing with a toupe.
I killed the toupe idea. It was just something funny I tried but the more I thought about it, the less if fit for the game.
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(http://i.imgur.com/GOosDqA.gif)
I can't decide if I want feet, or no feet on the ice state for the main character, thoughts?
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(http://i.imgur.com/wEcWft7.gif)
Tried it with legs.
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Well in my opinion the floating legs rayman style were more fun.
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I'm trying to animate the running sequence now, and it just looks weird with the legs. Once I am done I may increase the foot size and do it a la Rayman.
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Odio and Ira bosses:
Ira:
(http://i.imgur.com/IMlnbN3.png)
Odio + Idle:
(http://i.imgur.com/rtrrQhZ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Qy6pbK1.gif)
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well Ira looks more like Orgullo to be honest.
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well Ira looks more like Orgullo to be honest.
You feel like he looks like pride more than wrath? I think he fits wrath pretty well, haha.
Timore Concept and idle:
(http://i.imgur.com/L2tZ58I.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/n6odqST.gif)
I feel like the animation really needs something, but everything I try just looks wrong. Any thoughts?
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Hi man i like the style of your characters im also think that the floating feet style seems pretty good on the ghost sprite, btw, in your last sprite in the left side of the face it seems pretty plane i think you should give the fire like some "freedom", good luck mate ;D :y:
(http://i.imgur.com/vt0udx3.png)
an cheape example(i make an little modification in the arm too)
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Hi man i like the style of your characters im also think that the floating feet style seems pretty good on the ghost sprite, btw, in your last sprite in the left side of the face it seems pretty plane i think you should give the fire like some "freedom", good luck mate ;D :y:
(http://i.imgur.com/vt0udx3.png)
an cheape example(i make an little modification in the arm too)
I tried to give the fire some freedom, and as I watched some videos on fire, the very heart of the flames are much darker that the rest, so I tried to implement that here to a degree, let me know your thoughts!
(http://i.imgur.com/7CiBJMO.gif)(http://i.imgur.com/UNRD5tv.gif)
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Hi man i like the style of your characters im also think that the floating feet style seems pretty good on the ghost sprite, btw, in your last sprite in the left side of the face it seems pretty plane i think you should give the fire like some "freedom", good luck mate ;D :y:
(http://i.imgur.com/vt0udx3.png)
an cheape example(i make an little modification in the arm too)
Much better :hehe:
I tried to give the fire some freedom, and as I watched some videos on fire, the very heart of the flames are much darker that the rest, so I tried to implement that here to a degree, let me know your thoughts!
(http://i.imgur.com/7CiBJMO.gif)
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(http://i.imgur.com/TzY6DuF.gif)
Doubled the frames for the flame animation, while keeping the bodies animation the same. Almost makes me want to increase the body frames too, but man... Another 4 frames of animation.... Took me 6-7 hours just to do the first four frames.
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Much higher energy. :y:
The flames on the tail look like they're in the background though, should be like on the head.
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Much higher energy. :y:
The flames on the tail look like they're in the background though, should be like on the head.
Yeah, I get what you're saying. Thanks!
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First wing for Ira... 3 hours later..... This is going to take a while. :/
Any thoughts, tips, criticisms?
(http://i.imgur.com/9YX8Rgc.gif)
Odio Updated tail flame:
(http://i.imgur.com/8uDf4vP.gif)
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(http://i.imgur.com/sYvtIIg.png)
VERY early look at the very first set piece. This is the main characters home where the game is going to begin. Only the front face of the first floor is really finished, but I wanted to get some thoughts and opinions before completing the entire piece. I really like where it is headed though!
I needed to do something different for a while. This took me probably close to 4ish hours today.
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(http://i.imgur.com/zpff3vK.png)
A little bit of progress and a palette change.
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good start but I disagree with that perspective of the building.
for one thing its slower and more difficult to make a scene like that without inconsistencies.
but it makes the character look like a carboard cutout when his feet are parallel and there is no gap between him and the building.
u can make a gap but then consider u need to animate him moving upwards towards doorways and ladders and stuff (or they need to extrude from background).
easiest option is to lose perspective all together in favor of more tileable horizontal side planes.
or if u want perspective keep the bottom of the side plane horizontal and the top gets the perspective but this introduces limitations on the level design vs mixed perspectives (probably ok if u don't mix too much on screen at once.
try checking out shantae riskys revenge for some nice inspiration and nicely controlled perspectives for this type of game.
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good start but I disagree with that perspective of the building.
for one thing its slower and more difficult to make a scene like that without inconsistencies.
but it makes the character look like a carboard cutout when his feet are parallel and there is no gap between him and the building.
u can make a gap but then consider u need to animate him moving upwards towards doorways and ladders and stuff (or they need to extrude from background).
easiest option is to lose perspective all together in favor of more tileable horizontal side planes.
or if u want perspective keep the bottom of the side plane horizontal and the top gets the perspective but this introduces limitations on the level design vs mixed perspectives (probably ok if u don't mix too much on screen at once.
try checking out shantae riskys revenge for some nice inspiration and nicely controlled perspectives for this type of game.
Thank you for the feedback! I will definitely be checking that out!
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(http://i.imgur.com/JitKZFt.png)
Decided to go with a completely straightforward perspective, and am trying to fill in the windows and doorway to get rid of the attention grabbing black. Really struggling with what to put in the windows... Tried curtains and shutters, but I can't get either to look right.
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(http://i.imgur.com/ETAHU9O.png)
Headed towards more of a Mediterranean style. Could anyone help me out with the shadows. Something just looks wrong.... I have no idea how to fix it. Ignore the oddly shaped window up top, I'm just experimenting with a bunch of different things, but I have no clue how to do shadows like that and am looking for some advice.
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(http://i.imgur.com/XCIlnXO.png)
I think I am starting to realize that I am not a very good pixel artist. This is taking me an incredibly long amount of time to do, and I feel like it's just plain bad.
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Ok, first off:
I think I am starting to realize that I am not a very good pixel artist.
Throw that in fucking trash. *klang*
Don't worry about it.
With this sort of outlook you will continue to struggle even if you become "good".
We all feel like this at some point or another, it's just a matter of getting back up.
Put a positive spin on it.
"I am starting to realize that I can still learn a lot about making pixel art".
Now:
This is taking me an incredibly long amount of time to do
Yep, art takes a lot of time.
Build up a callus for patience.
Grinding away is the bulk of the journey, so learn to enjoy it.
Yes there is methods and choices to speed things up, but nothing will ever change that time = stuff.
And:
and I feel like it's just plain bad.
I chalk this feeling up to a lack of process and foresight.
Everything you put on the canvas should be a tool for moving forward.
So if you don't think like that, learn to.
Theory is another way of alleviating art woes.
It helps you make choices on why you put what and where.
So what is your theory here?
What drawing program are you using?
Doing tile work without tile support certainly makes it much more of a chore.
Sorry no time for much pixel talk or edits.
Purely motivational speech here.
First get your head on straight.
Until you can do that not many good pixels are bound to pop out of it.
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Well I like it!
It just looks like a mixture of styles to me because you haven't finished it yet.
Besides that it looks good in my opinion
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Ok, first off:
I think I am starting to realize that I am not a very good pixel artist.
Throw that in fucking trash. *klang*
Don't worry about it.
With this sort of outlook you will continue to struggle even if you become "good".
We all feel like this at some point or another, it's just a matter of getting back up.
Put a positive spin on it.
"I am starting to realize that I can still learn a lot about making pixel art".
Now:
This is taking me an incredibly long amount of time to do
Yep, art takes a lot of time.
Build up a callus for patience.
Grinding away is the bulk of the journey, so learn to enjoy it.
Yes there is methods and choices to speed things up, but nothing will ever change that time = stuff.
And:
and I feel like it's just plain bad.
I chalk this feeling up to a lack of process and foresight.
Everything you put on the canvas should be a tool for moving forward.
So if you don't think like that, learn to.
Theory is another way of alleviating art woes.
It helps you make choices on why you put what and where.
So what is your theory here?
What drawing program are you using?
Doing tile work without tile support certainly makes it much more of a chore.
Sorry no time for much pixel talk or edits.
Purely motivational speech here.
First get your head on straight.
Until you can do that not many good pixels are bound to pop out of it.
Thanks, I needed that! Been feeling under the weather the last couple of days, and it's getting to me. Thank you so much!
The main thing about the time is that I feel like I should have more to show for ~10-12 hours worth of work. But part of that is my inexperience, and the fact that I end up doing things 8-9 times over because it just doesn't meet my standards for "good". Haha.
What do you mean by "tile work without tile support"? I use CS6, but use very few of the tools outside of pencil, layers, etc.
Well I like it!
It just looks like a mixture of styles to me because you haven't finished it yet.
Besides that it looks good in my opinion
Thank you, I am glad that you like it! I'm not sure how to proceed with texture on the walls due to the greek villa feel that I am going for, the walls and windows are kind of plain, but I want this scene fro my game to be memorable, and really stand out since this is the first scene (outside of the opening sequence) that the player will see. I'm putting more pressure on myself than I really should be, but I want people to see this and go "Holy crap that looks incredible."
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What do you mean by "tile work without tile support"?
Try Pyxel (http://pyxeledit.com/) or Pro Motion (http://www.cosmigo.com/promotion/index.php).
Here's an example of creating tiles in Pyxel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-BFtcfzofg)
Keep in mind the way he's building them is not a very good process.
It's better to create a rough scene and then break it down.
But it serves as a good demonstration.
I want to make you aware of these other options because not too long ago I didn't really care for tile work.
I'm a complete beginner when it comes to environments, entirely because I found the process to be very... blah.
Maybe you have a similar story and that's where a lot of your time sink and frustration is coming from.
Using Graphics Gale, it felt like a hassle to keep all my tiles in the scene up to date.
I would quickly get bored with copy pasting new versions of tiles already in use.
Example of me getting bored and dropping out once things started to expand on Graphics Gale. (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VTAi_JWs4fQ/VMX-EGBH2PI/AAAAAAAAKug/VwjHDb8CRRE/s1600/building_5_blogSize.png)
After learning Pro Motion, I find tile work to be a lot of fun.
I can draw on large areas or small portions and everything is updated automatically.
This allows a lot of freedom to be creative and work on a bigger more scene complete scale.
Example of me having fun and building a much fuller image on Pro Motion. (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXhc5f3HpI8/VgTeknv4p1I/AAAAAAAAL9M/3ZteDqm8ndw/s1600/DrDungeon_x2.png)
Alternatively you could use Smart Objects in PS to achieve a similar work flow.
But I find it to be not as smooth.
but I want people to see this and go "Holy crap that looks incredible."
Yah, dial that down a bit.
Don't let your passion bleed into expectation.
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When stuff starts to look worse as you go, that's when you're learning! We all know how hard that can be, but it's a necessary evil. Basically, before that, you're too bad to notice how bad it is. As your skill increases, you start to notice how bad everything looks, but you're not good enough to fix it yet. Then after practice, it becomes possible to fix those issues. You're super happy about your art, until it starts looking bad again. Repeat.
Without this cycle, learning is impossible. People who are content with their art tend to be stuck and hardly improve. People who only see their art as bad have the same problem. You need the cycle. Notice that "bad" and "good" are relative terms. Most artists that are highly praised craftsmen still go through this cycle (though it slows down of course, but that only makes the "I'm bad" parts longer) and their "bad" is different from your "bad", but it might be possible that neither of your "bad"s will be perceived as such by a large audience.
As for the background, the problem is value. If you blur this and grayscale it, I will have no idea what I'm looking at. Throw the colors out for now, forget the architectural details, just try to make a grayscale mockup of the general form you want, using a large brush. Then you start refining. Right now, the mountains are higher contrast than the building for example, so I have to strain my eyes to pay attention to the building.
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When stuff starts to look worse as you go, that's when you're learning! We all know how hard that can be, but it's a necessary evil. Basically, before that, you're too bad to notice how bad it is. As your skill increases, you start to notice how bad everything looks, but you're not good enough to fix it yet. Then after practice, it becomes possible to fix those issues. You're super happy about your art, until it starts looking bad again. Repeat.
Without this cycle, learning is impossible. People who are content with their art tend to be stuck and hardly improve. People who only see their art as bad have the same problem. You need the cycle. Notice that "bad" and "good" are relative terms. Most artists that are highly praised craftsmen still go through this cycle (though it slows down of course, but that only makes the "I'm bad" parts longer) and their "bad" is different from your "bad", but it might be possible that neither of your "bad"s will be perceived as such by a large audience.
As for the background, the problem is value. If you blur this and grayscale it, I will have no idea what I'm looking at. Throw the colors out for now, forget the architectural details, just try to make a grayscale mockup of the general form you want, using a large brush. Then you start refining. Right now, the mountains are higher contrast than the building for example, so I have to strain my eyes to pay attention to the building.
Well, the mountain background is mountains, and a city on the side of the mountains. That's where all the contrast is coming from. What could I do to remedy that, and how will working in gray-scale help me remedy that? If I do work in grayscale, how do I go from grayscale back to color?
What do you mean by "tile work without tile support"?
Try Pyxel (http://pyxeledit.com/) or Pro Motion (http://www.cosmigo.com/promotion/index.php).
Here's an example of creating tiles in Pyxel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-BFtcfzofg)
Keep in mind the way he's building them is not a very good process.
It's better to create a rough scene and then break it down.
But it serves as a good demonstration.
I want to make you aware of these other options because not too long ago I didn't really care for tile work.
I'm a complete beginner when it comes to environments, entirely because I found the process to be very... blah.
Maybe you have a similar story and that's where a lot of your time sink and frustration is coming from.
Using Graphics Gale, it felt like a hassle to keep all my tiles in the scene up to date.
I would quickly get bored with copy pasting new versions of tiles already in use.
Example of me getting bored and dropping out once things started to expand on Graphics Gale. (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VTAi_JWs4fQ/VMX-EGBH2PI/AAAAAAAAKug/VwjHDb8CRRE/s1600/building_5_blogSize.png)
After learning Pro Motion, I find tile work to be a lot of fun.
I can draw on large areas or small portions and everything is updated automatically.
This allows a lot of freedom to be creative and work on a bigger more scene complete scale.
Example of me having fun and building a much fuller image on Pro Motion. (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXhc5f3HpI8/VgTeknv4p1I/AAAAAAAAL9M/3ZteDqm8ndw/s1600/DrDungeon_x2.png)
Alternatively you could use Smart Objects in PS to achieve a similar work flow.
But I find it to be not as smooth.
but I want people to see this and go "Holy crap that looks incredible."
Yah, dial that down a bit.
Don't let your passion bleed into expectation.
I will definitely have to look into that, and see how it feels.
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(http://i.imgur.com/lqdQ1aI.png)
Purchased a copy of Pyxel Edit, and I must say I like this program a lot for doing tile work. Just messing around for a bit, after about half an hour I had this.
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Here's a link about value studies that seems decent:
http://davidmkessler.com/blog/23789/value-studies-the-artists-essential-tool
There's also a bunch of folks doing them in the daily sketch thread, if you feel like browsing that for a while. Putting color on top of a value study is actually rather easy, don't worry about that.
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Here's a link about value studies that seems decent:
http://davidmkessler.com/blog/23789/value-studies-the-artists-essential-tool
There's also a bunch of folks doing them in the daily sketch thread, if you feel like browsing that for a while. Putting color on top of a value study is actually rather easy, don't worry about that.
This helped a lot for this next edit. I realized that I had the platform and the ground with the highest contrast/brightest colors, which pulled all of the attention away from the characters. Thank you for sharing that with me.
I'm quickly falling in love with Pyxel Edit for tilework. This is about 2 hours worth of work total. Meant to be viewed at x3 resolution.
(http://i.imgur.com/SJZOHEn.png)
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Haven't had any time to work on this over the weekend, but manages to squeeze in about an hour of work to this. Can't decided if I want to do statues, or carving in the wall. Also looking for any other C&C.
(http://i.imgur.com/KWqSWxy.png)